Sailor' Malan—Freedom Fighter
Sailor' Malan—Freedom Fighter

Author: Dilip Sarkar MBE

Publisher: Air World

Published: 2021-06-09

Total Pages: 362

ISBN-13: 1526795272

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Adolph Gysbert Malan was born in Wellington, South Africa. A natural leader and driven individual with a totally positive outlook, aged fourteen Malan became an officer cadet in the South African Merchant Navy, before being commissioned into the Royal Navy Reserve. Well-travelled and worldly-wise, aged twenty-five the intrepid adventurer applied for a Short Service Commission in the RAF. Universally known as ‘Sailor’ in the RAF, Malan became a fighter pilot. Shortly after war was declared, Malan was involved in the infamous ‘Battle of Barking Creek’, in which 74 Squadron mistakenly destroyed friendly Hurricanes. Then, over Dunkirk in May 1940, Malan’s exceptional ability was immediately demonstrated in combat and a string of confirmed aerial victories rapidly accumulated. The following month, Malan scored the Spitfire’s first nocturnal kill. By August 1940 he was commanding 74 Squadron, which he led with great distinction during the Battle of Britain. In March 1941, Malan was promoted and became the first Wing Commander (Flying) at Biggin Hill, leading the three-squadron-strong Spitfire wing during operations over northern France. After a break from operations, Malan went on to command a succession of fighter training units, passing on his tactical genius and experience, and producing his famous ‘Ten Rules of Air Fighting’ which are still cited today. By the war’s end, Group Captain Malan was the RAF’s tenth top-scoring fighter pilot. Leaving the RAF in 1945 and returning to South Africa, he was disgusted by Apartheid and founded the ‘Torch Commando’ of ex-servicemen against this appalling racist policy. This part of Malan’s life is equally as inspirational, in fact, as his wartime service, and actually tells us more about the man than just his RAF record. Tragically, in 1963, he died, prematurely, aged just fifty-three, of Parkinson’s. Written with the support of the Malan family, this biography is the full story of a remarkable airman and politician.

Spitfire Ace
Spitfire Ace

Author: Gordon Olive

Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited

Published: 2015-07-15

Total Pages: 428

ISBN-13: 1445644371

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The amazing story of one of ‘the Few’, Spitfire fighter pilot Gordon Olive, who shot down ten enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain.

Fighter Aces of the RAF in the Battle of Britain
Fighter Aces of the RAF in the Battle of Britain

Author: Philip Kaplan

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2008-03-25

Total Pages: 399

ISBN-13: 1783409029

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This book examines the reality behind the myths of the legendary RAF fighter aces during the Battle of Britain. The accounts of the experiences of fighter pilots are based on archival research, diaries, letters, published and unpublished memoirs and personal interviews with veterans.

Fighter Pilot
Fighter Pilot

Author: Helen Doe

Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited

Published: 2015-05-15

Total Pages: 347

ISBN-13: 1445646129

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A family-authorised biography of one of the top-scoring aces of the Battle of Britain.

Flying, Fighting and Reflection
Flying, Fighting and Reflection

Author: Peter Jacobs

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2018-09-30

Total Pages: 393

ISBN-13: 1784383910

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This is the thrilling account of the last remaining Battle of Britain ace fighter pilot, Tom Ginger Neil. Neil was one of an elite band, nicknamed The Few by Winston Churchill, he flew Hurricanes during 141 combat missions in that battle and went on to command the first Spitfire XII squadron during 1942/43 as the RAF went on the offensive in north-west Europe.In this, the only full account of Neil's life to be published in collaboration with his family, we learn how he became a poster boy for the war effort and how he credits his sixth sense for keeping him alive during the Second World War.There was, however, one terrifyingly close brush with death, when in 1940 he had a mid-air collision with another Hurricane. With the rear section of his aircraft gone, the plane was out of control and hurtling to the ground, yet somehow he managed to bail out and miraculously survived with only a minor leg injury.As well as RAF service during the Siege of Malta, Wing Commander Neil, who is now in his late nineties, also served with the Americans during the D-Day landings.During his career, Neil was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses for the destruction of at least fourteen enemy aircraft, and was a successful test pilot after the war before commanding a jet fighter-reconnaissance squadron in Egypt's troubled Canal Zone during the 1950s for which he was awarded the Air Force Cross.With contributions from the man himself, this book also looks at his life after the RAF and his career as a successful author. For military buffs and novices alike, it is a must-read account of a true war hero.

A Willingness to Die
A Willingness to Die

Author: Brian Kingcome

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2016-08-04

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 0752473506

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In 1938 Brian Kingcome joined the RAF with a permanent commission and was posted to No 65 Fighter Squadron at Hornchurch, soon to be equipped with the Spitfire, and so it came about that Brian flew the Spitfire throughout the war. He became acting CO for No 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill and led over sixty operations, achieving the highest success rate of any squadron in the Battle of Britain. In May 1943 Brian joined Desert Air Force in Malta and took command of 244 Wing. At this time he was confirmed Flight Lieutenant, acting Squadron Leader, acting Wing Commander and at twenty-five was one of the youngest Group Captains in the Royal Air Force. Brian Kingcome may have been the last Battle of Britain pilot of repute to put his extraordinary story into print; looked upon by other members of his squadron as possibly their finest pilot, his nonetheless unassuming memoirs are related with a subtle and compassionate regard for a generation who were, as he felt, born to a specific task. Brian's memoirs have been edited and introduced by Peter Ford, ex-National Serviceman in Malaya.

Spitfire Aces of North Africa and Italy
Spitfire Aces of North Africa and Italy

Author: Andrew Thomas

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2013-02-20

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1472801911

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Essential coverage of the key part played by the iconic Spitfire in the desert campaign during 1942-43, and in the destruction of the Luftwaffe in Sicily, Italy and the Balkans from mid-1943 through to VE Day. Although most famous for their role in the Battle of Britain, many Spitfire squadrons also served in the Mediterranean theatre, aiding the Allied victories in North Africa and later in the invasion of Italy. Numerous pilots, both Royal Air Force and South African Spitfire squadrons, made ace during these engagements. This book tells their story.

Double Threat
Double Threat

Author: Ellin Bessner

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2019-01-24

Total Pages: 425

ISBN-13: 1487533624

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"He died so Jewry should suffer no more." These words on a Canadian Jewish soldier's tombstone in Normandy inspired the author to explore the role of Canadian Jews in the war effort. As PM Mackenzie King wrote in 1947, Jewish servicemen faced a "double threat" - they were not only fighting against Fascism but for Jewish survival. At the same time, they encountered widespread antisemitism and the danger of being identified as Jews if captured. Bessner conducted hundreds of interviews and extensive archival research to paint a complex picture of the 17,000 Canadian Jews - about 10 per cent of the Jewish population in wartime Canada - who chose to enlist, including future Cabinet minister Barney Danson, future game-show host Monty Hall, and comedians Wayne and Shuster. Added to this fascinating account are Jews who were among the so-called "Zombies" - Canadians who were drafted, but chose to serve at home - the various perspectives of the Jewish community, and the participation of Canadian Jewish women.

Paddy Finucane
Paddy Finucane

Author: Doug Stokes

Publisher: Crecy Classic

Published: 2015-09

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780859791809

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Fighter Ace Paddy Finucane became a legend in his own lifetime and widely publicized in the press. Joining the RAF in 1938, Finucane made a poor start to his flying career and was not operational until the Battle of Britain when every pilot was needed. Posted to 65 Squadron for the Battle of Britain, he went on to become a flight commander with 452 Squadron, the first Australian squadron in Britain. His leadership qualities quickly became apparent and it was with them that he scored his most spectacular successes in the circus sweeps on the French coast. Modest by nature he was upset by the constant references to himself as 'Bader's successor' but the spotlight never left him. In January 1942 he became squadron commander of the 602 Squadron and was promptly promoted to Wing Commander Flying, Hornchurch. Finucane established an outstanding reputation for tactics and flying skill having eventually destroyed 32 enemy aircraft before ditching in the Channel in July 1942 and disappearing. With the full co-operation of the Finucane family, the myth of a wild fighting Irishman can at last be eliminated to reveal a thoughtful, highly disciplined and respected individual, a man born to lead.

Spitfire Ace of Aces: The Album
Spitfire Ace of Aces: The Album

Author: Dilip Sarkar

Publisher: Air World

Published: 2021-08-04

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 1526791676

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Air Vice-Marshal James Edgar ‘Johnnie’ Johnson CB, CBE, DSO & Two Bars, DFC & Bar, DL was a character literally from the pages of Boys’ Own: an individual who became the RAF’s top-scoring fighter pilot of the Second World War. A one-time household name synonymous with the superlative Spitfire, Johnnie’s aerial combat successes inspired schoolboys for generations. As a ‘lowly Pilot Officer’, Johnnie Johnson learned his fighter pilot’s craft as a protégé of the legless Tangmere Wing Leader, Douglas Bader. After Bader was brought down over France and captured on 9 August 1941, Johnnie remained a member of 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron, in which he became a flight commander and was awarded the DFC a month after Bader’s devastating loss. In time, Johnnie came to command a Canadian wing in 1943, when the Spitfire Mk.IX at last outclassed the Fw 190, and participated in some of the most important battles of the defeat of Nazi Germany, including Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings in 1944, Operation Market Garden and the airborne assault at Arnhem, and the Rhine Crossings, throughout all of which Johnnie also commanded Canadian wings. Johnnie’s remarkable career is revealed through this unparalleled collection of archive photographs, the majority of which are drawn from his own personal album or from other members of the Johnson family. Many have not been published before. Between them, they present a fascinating insight into the man himself, the machines he flew, and the men he served alongside.